KATHMANDU: A team of Sherpa climbers on Wednesday retrieved the body of an Indian mountaineer who died of altitude sickness while ascending the world highest peak last year, from the death zone of Mt Everest.

At least eight trained climbing Sherpas from Seven Summit Treks recovered the body of Gautam Ghosh, a climber from West Bengal, from the Balcony area this afternoon, the company’s Managing Director Mingma Sherpa said.

The West Bengal government in coordination with the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu employed the SST team for retrieving the bodies of Paresh Nath and Ghosh which were lying above 8,000 metres in the death zone, he added.

The team has retrieved Ghosh’s body and descended the same to Camp IV, according to Sherpa. “Sherpas will attempt to bring Paresh Nath’s body to Camp IV tomorrow,” he added.

In the last season, the rescuers had only traced the body of Paresh Nath but they couldn’t locate Ghosh in the death zone. Gosh’s body was located by the rescuers this season. Among four climbers of their team who went missing on May 21 last year, Sunita Hazra was located the next day and taken to hospital but another climber Subash Paul died while being rescued.

Ghosh’s family and friends have already arrived in Kathmandu to receive the body. “After collecting Paresh Nath’s body, both will be airlifted to Kathmandu from Camp II,” Sherpa said, adding that the Sherpa team would also try to recover Ravi Kumar’s body from South Col next week.